Electrical compensator



Feb, 16, 1937. L. BATCHELDER ELECTRICAL COMPENSATOR Filed March 21, '1932' 4 SheetsSheet l l'llllllllllllul'l 0 mvmon aura/Ire Bait/fielder Al IORR'EY Feb. 16, 1937. L BATCHELDER 2,070,570

ELECTRICAL COMPENSATOR Filed March 21, 1932 4 Shets-$heet 2 4P .7 P 4s INVENTOR Feb; 16, 1937. L; IBATCHELDER 2,070,570

ELECTRICAL COMPENSATOR Fil ed March 21, 1932 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Feb. 16, 1937. BATCHELDER 2,010 57 ELECTRICAL COMPENSATOR Filed March 21, 1932 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 16, 1937 PATENT OFFICE ELECTRICAL COMPENSATOR Laurence Batchelder, Cambridge, Mass assignor to Submarine Signal Company, Boston, Mass,

a corporation of Maine Application'March 21, 1932, Serial No. 800.191

10 Claims.

The present invention relates to electric compensators.

Electric compensators have been known for a considerable time and have been used among other purposes for the directive reception of underwater noises and signals. Considerable development along these lines was first made during the World War when the use of the so-called multispot compensation was first evolved. Eleotric compensators were used with a group of re} ceivers submerged in the water, either mounted within the vessel or carried over the side, for detecting the presence of other vessels such as enemy submarines or warships. Compensators used in this manner have also found application along commercial lines and have been used successfully in preventing collisions between vessels as well as determining the direction of some known source of sound.

In a compensator of the present type which may be called a group compensator, the groups are first individually compensated and then compensated as a whole between the two indicating or telephone devices in the same general way as in the prior art. In the compensators of the prior art having a so-called binaural line, that is the line which compensates each group for a' final balance, a switching arrangement is used which opens the line successively at difierent sections. The electrical contacts at the points where these openings occur are often poor, be-..

cause of dust or small particles which come be- .tween the contacting surfaces'with the result that some resistance is set up in the circuit. 55 This increases the resistance on the coil side of the line and produces a distortional efiect which reacts very unfavorably in creating false observations and inaccurate balances when making a compensator setting. Besides this, the added resistance increases the attenuation of the line.

These dimculties are overcome in the present invention. The continuity of the series elements is not broken and the only contact resistance is that which occurs in series with the shunt elements connecting to a common return. Since the shunt element is a capacity and has in the operating frequency range a high impedance, a slight resistance between the shunt element and the common would not detrimentaliy affect the line characteristics. This feature also eliminates all electrical noises in the telephones due to the.

opening and closing of the switch contacts andprovesto be of special importance. when an amin which case all the electrical switch noises are amplified along with the signal.

The switching arrangement in the present invention is such that the line is varied at the common side and the line is therefore preserved intact while the switch is being moved from section to section.

Further than this it is possible, as will be seen later, to increase or decrease the line length a half section. at a time so that the sections may be made twice the size that otherwise could be used. In the older type of compensators sections could be made no larger than the allowable maximum change of retardation in the motion of the compensator switch to preserve the continuity of impression to the observer.

In the present invention the sections may be made twice this size with the result that a compensator i fewersections may be built and with the added result, as will also be noted, that both the intermediary and final lines can be made to have the same time lag. These advantages will appear more fully from the description below.

In addition to the above advantages the present invention also provides a single switching element whereby theoperator may listen on the port side or starboard side of the vessel as well as in an intermediate position in which a half of the port group and a half of the starboard group of receivers are employed. The single switching arrangement also controls the application of the polarizing current to the magnetophones such that the receivers not used will not be excited. Means are also provided in the switching arrangement whereby when the observer wishes to listen for the bow setting of the switch, the initial compensating lines are made to have a fixed relation to one another so that the receivers employed will be definitely compensated for a fixed forward position.

The arrangement in the present invention makes it possible to build a compensator of much smaller size than heretofore used. In the present compensator the inductances may be obtained by the use of coils having iron cores. The line may be made distortionless by a condenser having a power factor designed to accomplish this result. If mutual inductance is used, it is possible by designing the condensers with the proper power factor to have a distortionless line for the very wide frequency range.

These and other features will be more clearly understood from the description of an embodiment of the inventionillustrated in the drawings annexed hereto.

In the drawings Fig. 1 shows a part front view of the compensator from the outside; Fig. 2 shows a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 shows a section taken through Fig. 1 at the top on the line 3-3 as indicated in Fig. 1; Fig. 4 shows a detail of the selector switch: Fig. 5 shows another detail of the switch; Fig. 6 shows a schematic wiring diagram of the apparatus; Fig. 7 shows a development of a part of the switch shown in Fig. 6 in its various operating positions;,Fig. 8 shows the position of the receivers in various connections efiected by the various positions of the selector switch; Figs. 9a and 9b show a. simplified wiring diagram of two modifications of the present invention; and Figs. 10 and 11 show a modified form of a switch eliminating the switch panel at the front as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

The system is used in general with a group of hydrophones having the arrangement shown in Fig. 8. The application in the present case shows the system as a so-called six-spot system, but any number of spots may be used and, in fact, other arrangements than those indicated in the drawings may be employed, as, for instance, a circular group or group forming other configurations in a plane or in a three-dimensional space. In Figure 8 four connections are illustrated: a illustrates the use of the six port hydrophones with a compensator; b illustrates the use of the six starboard hydrophones; c the use of bow compensation with the three forward receivers on each side; and d the use of bow compensation with the three aft receivers on each side.

In a of Fig. 8 the receivers on the port side are represented as 1'1), 2' B'p, the starboard receivers as l's, 2's 6's. The forward half may be connected to the left ear and the rear half to the right ear in binaural compensation and the two half sides may be connected together for maximum compensation. On the starboard side, as shown at b, the forward half may be connected to the left ear and the rear half connected to the right ear. for bow compensation the forward half or the rear half of the hydrophones by a proper switching arrangement as shown in Fig. 6.

In Figure 6 the coils in the port receivers are represented by the same numerals as the receivers themselves in Figure 8 as will be seen at the bottom of the figure. The hydrophones used in connection with this compensator are matched directly with the lines on which the'sound energy is impressed. The direct current flux excitation is supplied by means of the windings l2, l2, I2, etc., which are connected in series groups of three by means of the switch 9 applying the potential of the battery l3 across the common It and the line. A selector switch I5 is provided which has three positions: port position when rotated to the left as shown in Figure 6; a starboard position rotated to the right; and a bow position as indicated in the position shown in Figure 6.

-As will be noted from Fig. 8 in the bow position, there is a choice of the use of the forward roups or the aft groups of three receivers. ,This

' choice is effected by means of the Jumper connectors 1- and 8 which connect the switch arms l0 and 9 to the connecting points F on the left or A on the right.

The jumpers 7 and 8 are preferably fixed when the installation is made for the best choice on the vessel and thereafter are not changed unless it is especially desired to do so. In the position of the Jumpers indicated in, Fig. 6, it will be noted This makes it possible to use that the forward group F connecting with i'p, Z'p, 3'1: and l's, 2's and 3's is used. In the position of the jumpers on the right contact points A the receivers 4'12, 5'p and B'p and 4's, 5's and 6's would be connected to the compensator. The switch 9 in its downward position is connected with the two switch points whose combination is designated 9B. In this relation the jumpers 8 sloping to the left energize the coils in the receivers l'p, 2'1), 3'1) and l's, 2's and 3's. With the jumpers 8 in the other position the rear or aft group of receivers would be energized.

In the position for bow compensation, as indicated by the position of the switch it, the end switch arms H and II connect the receivers with fixed compensation directly to the binaural line indicated at the top of the figure. In the position shown in Fig. 6 the receiver i'p is connected to the C-line at its left end. The receiver 2'p is connected through the switch point 23 at the end of the fixed or F-line while the receiver 3' is connected at the right end of the C-line. The energies from the receivers thus compensated in a fixed fashion are impressed by means of the connecting lead It to the common of one-half of the B-line as indicated by the numeral i! applied to the right half of the ring l8 Similarly the right half group is connected to the left connector I9 of the ring it by means of the connecting lead 2|. In this case the starboard receiver l's connected through the 68 position of the switch Iii connects to the left end of the C-line while the receiver 3's connects through the switch point 8B to the right of the C-line, and the receiver 2's connects through the Switch point 53 to the F-line. The energy from the three receivers is conducted over the line 22 to the B-line through the lead 2! and also to one end 23 of the binaural headphone 24. The other phone lead 25 connects to the opposite end of the B-line and similarly also one end of the phone 26 is connected to the other extreme end of the B-line.

The description above illustrates the switching arrangement for the so-called bow position.

In the port and starboard positions the switch arm I5 is moved to the left and right, respectively, that is to the left for the port position and to the right for the starboard position. In the port position the receivers I'p, 2'1) and 3'p are connected to the left end of the C-line, the end of the F-line and the right end of the C-line, respectively. The switch II in the position at the left connects the F-line to the switch contact 20 by means of the lead 21. Similarly the switch I I in the position I I'p connects the F-line to the switch contact 30 by means of the lead 28. The switch contacts 20 and 30, respectively, unite the impulses passing through the F-line and the C- line at the correct point to produce the desired compensation to compensate for the difference in time of arrival of the wave energy at the receivers.

As will be noted the switch contacts 20 and 3b are adapted to move over the contact studs 3! to 36, inclusive, and 31 to 42, inclusive, respectively, each stud connecting to a difierent point on the left and right C-lines, respectively. The contact switches 20 and 30 move on the same mechanism as the ring 18 and the switch brushes 43 and M; the position of the contact switches 20 and to adjustlng the compensation of the C-line and the position of the ring 18 and contact brushes 63 and 44 adjusting the compensation of the B-line.

As indicated in Fig. 6 the energy from the left F- and C-lines is fed into the B-line by the two conductors comprising the lead I6 together with a portion I! of the ring I8 and the switch 44 while the energy from the right F- and C-lines is fed into the B-line by means of the conductor 2| together with the portion l9 of the ring I8 and the brush 43. The ring l8 and the brushes 43 and 44 move simultaneously breaking the -B-line each half section in its motion. This is accomplished as follows: The B-line is composed of series inductances 45 and 46, which are the two series halves and which with the condenser 50 form one section of the line. The condensers 50 are connected between the series halves and the common. The line sections may be. considered as either a T section or all section and are, in fact, first one and then the other, depending upon the switch positions. The condensers 50, 50, etc., are a connected by means of the brushes 5|, 5|, 5|, etc.,

to the ring I8 while the inductances 45, 46, etc.,

are connected together in series and are also connected at their junctions to the stud connection 52.

I there is an insulating element 53 which carries 'two segments 54 and 55 spaced approximately the width of the brushes 5| from the segments l9 and II, respectively, of the ring l8. These segments 54 and 55 are connected to the segments l9 and II, respectively, through condensers 56 and 56 of the same capacity as the condensers 50.

A simplified circuit diagram of the arrangement shown in Fig. 6 is indicated in Fig. 9a and will aid in understanding the general wiring system. Here 60, 6|, 62, 63, 64 and 65 represent 6 hydrophones. 60 and 62 are connected to the ends of the left C-line, 63 and 65 to the ends of the right C-line. GI and 64 are connected through the F- lines to the adjustable switches 66 and 61, respectively, which are adjusted along the C-line for the proper compensation of the end receivers of the groups. The outputs from the F- and C-lines are connected by means of the common 60, the

of the B-line are connected to the telephones I4 C-lines, a

and 15. These telephones may be used for maximum compensation as well as for binaural com- ,pensation by the use of suitable combinations of transformer windings paralleling the two out- Puts.

It will be noted in Fig.9a, that there is no common lead to the pair of telephones and that separate returns are provided for each receiver which are connected permanently to the ends of the B- line. In Fig. 9b, however, the receivers 14 and I5 are connected to the B-line at the point of break and not atthe ends, and the input from theF- and C-lines are connected to the ends of the B- line. Either method of connection can be used, but the system shown in Fig. 9a is perhaps more preferable on account of the more convenient connections of the hydrophones.

If, as shown in Fig. 91), separate commons are provided for the'separate halves'of the B-, F- and single return can be usedfor the telephones.

The arrangement of the compensator switch is more clearly indicated in Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive. In Fig. 2, which shows the switch in section, the compensator is contained in a casing 16 which has a cross support 11 upon which, by means of the frame 10, is supported the bearing I9 in which the shaft carrying the handwheel 8| may be rotated. Fixed to the shaft 80 by means of the pin 82 is the plate 63 which carries the movable elements of the switch as well as the compensator scale 84 mounted on the bracket 85 attached to the periphery of the plate .83. On the plate 83 at the right, as indicated in Fig.- 2, is mounted the contact brushes 43 and 44 shown more plainly in Fig. 3. These brushes bear upon the studs 52 connecting to the coils of the B-line. The movable ring l8 of Fig. 6 is mounted on the bottom side of the plate 83 and is in a contact position 7 with the brushes 5! mounted on a fixed plate 86 on which the studs 52 are also mounted.

The plate 8 alsocarries the brushes 20 and 30 which contact with the studs 32, 33, etc., mounted on the plate 86. The plate 86 is supported on the cross piece 11 by means of the uprights 81 and 68. By rotating the handwheel 8i all the switches and the scale for adjusting the compensation are simultaneously moved and a bearing is obtained which is noted by looking through the window 89 which is set at an inclination with the top side of the compensator. When the operator obtains a bearing on the indicator or headphones, he may read thecompensator setting by means of the numbers on the scale in relation to a hair line 90 across the window. As has been noted previously there are three positions for compensation. These are indicated in 'Fig. 1 by the legends Port, "Bow and Stbd on the door of the front panel 9| of the switch arm 92- corresponding in effect to the bar I5 indicated in Fig. 6.

The handle 92 is mounted on a shaft 93 passing through the panel of the casing and carrying on the inner side the arm 94 pinned to the shaft 93, which arm carries a shield 95 having three openings 96, 91 and 98, as indicated in Fig. 5, the opening 96 giving view to the starboard scale, the opening 91 to the how, the opening 98 to the port. The switch arrangement for eifecting the switching by the bar I5 of Fig. 6 is illustrated in Fig. 4. Here in Fig. 4 the contact points are indicated with the same numerals as in Fig. 6. The switch blades 9, l0, l0, etc., II and II are mounted on the plate 94 fixed to the shaft 93 while the contact studs lp, lb and Is, etc., are mounted on the fixed plate 95 held by suitable means to the cross support 'I'I or in any other suitable manner.

Moving the switch arm 92 to the right simultaneously sets all the switches of Fig. 6 for starboard observation. In the center the switches are in place for how observation, and at the left the switch is .in place for port observation.

In the modifications shown in Figs. 10 and 11 the switch plate I06 is mounted in a plane parallel to the switch plate 86. In this modification the switch blades are mounted upon the plate I04 which is fastened by bolts or in some other suitable manner to the supporting disc H0 which is pinned to a central shaft I02 by means of the pin I05, as indicated in the figure. The supporting disc 0 has an upwardly extending arm I03 at the extremity of which is fixed the scale plate 95 having the window openings 96, 91 and 98 as indicated in Fig. 5. At the upper end of the shaft 102 there is mounted a switch knob I00 which is held to the shaft by means of the screws and'switch knob'firmly inplace and prevent it v from"-tuirning-in the shaft. The screw III also serves'teprevenutne shaftfloz from dropping i-l'i-i' upon whichdsrh'ounted the" handwheel 8! in thef"samein'anner"asindicated in Fig. 2. The outershaft'may'turn on the roller bearings its whilethe'inne'r shaft is also set on a bearing H3 at'the lower end: In'the upper switch plate IN rests and m'akesf-c'ontact with its spring switch blades on the lower switch plate Hit. A spring studilid is provided 'in the frame I8 and three indentations idl a're provided in the disc H so that the switch knob I00 maybe set in one ofththree proper operating positions. Since the flin -I03 carrying the plate9 5 moves with the movement of the switch handle I00, the proper window will present for view through the position of the switch handle I00, the correct scale.

A top' -view of the arrangement is indicated in Fig. 11 indicating port, bow and starboard positions of the switch handle and also showing the handwheel 8i and the window 89 through which the scale on the compensator may be read.

"The rotating of the handwheel 8i,-as has been noted above, adjusts all the lines forproper compensation. The C-line,as indicated in Figs. 6

'and' 9, is not opened at. any time in the adjustment, but rather the contact brushes move along and pick out the proper position along the line for receiving the impulses.

The B -line adjustment is eflected in a different manner.- The manner of operation is indicated in Fig. 7 in which a, b, c, d and e show successive positions of the switch from one section of the B-line to an adjacent section. In To it will be noted that the contact brushes t3 and as and the contact elements it and 89 together with the contact segments 5d and 55 are in such a position that the line is terminated in so-called midshunt manner. The condensers 56 being in series with the condensers 50 provide half the capacity at the ends of the line. In the position indicated in b it will be noted that the section at the left is terminated in a mid-shunt manner and the section at the right is terminated in a mid-series manner, thus taking out a half section at the right of the line but leaving the same amount of compensation in the left side of the line. In to the left side of the line, it will be noted, is terminated in mid-series and so also the right, the right line having not changed in length but the left linehaving increased by a half section.

' "In hi it will be noted that the right half of the line is now decreased by another half section and has a mid-shunt. termination while the left half of the line remains in the prior mid-series termination. ie is the same as a and indicates both sections terminated in mid-shunt connections.

Fig. '7 illustrates the perfect termination of the line xwithout any additional elements present either in a mid-shunt or a mid-series termination, and further shows how the line is increased and decreaseduniformly a half section at a time..

Both these advantages are of great assistance in electric compensation. The use of this system allows both the F- and C-lines and the 18- lines to be made of the same size sections, the size of the section being suchthat a half section corresponds to one. step of the switch elements. In prior practice on account of the fact that the B-line sections could not be halved in making fiddpasses through'the outer shaft switch adjustments, the sections themselves had to be made half the size and this was not only expensive, but increased substantially the bulk of the compensator.

The allowable size of section of the B-line is determined by the accuracy of observation of the binaural system or by the minimum perceptible diiference in the maximum method of observation, and the spacing of the hydrophones. Usually the size of section is approximately 1.8 water inches. In the present case I may use a section having about 3 water inches retardation and also prefer to use the same size section for the C-line.

Under these circumstances the B- and C- and F-lines have the same cut-off frequency and have their impedances rather well matched and absolutely matched under the same conditions of termination of the B- and C-lines.

When the compensator is used for the maximum method it is advisable to put the two impulses coming from the B-line through transformers matched with the line and couple the secondaries in series or parallel as desired. In this way the entire energy may be used and combined in the maximum receiver.

It will be noted that the arrangement of the retardation line and the compensator switch is such that the line is interrupted in steps corresponding to two half sections. This is illustrated in Figure 7 in which in position a each end is terminated in a true II section. In 5b a true half section is taken off the right end, this section being now changed from a II section to a T section which has just one half the retardation interval of the section previously terminating this part of the line. In ie the left .side has been increased a T section of just one half the value of the section of the line whereas the right side remains the same. In 7d the left side still remains a '1' section while the right side has decreased another half section by cutting off the remaining half section and terminating in a II section. These terminations are always either T or II sections and therefore are true half-section variations. It will be noted further that the sections constantly shift at the end of each line first from a 11 section to a T section and then back again.

It will be appreciated that the present invention can be embodied in other forms and therefore I do not desire to limit myself to the embodiment herein described, but claim:

1. An electric compensator including section elements comprising inductive elements conductively connected together in series, capacitive shunt elements conductively connected at one end between the series inductive elements and a further conductive element acting as a return conductor for the other end of the capacitive elements. switching means including the return conductor having a permanent non-conducting interruption therein, said conductor adapted to be moved along the shunt element ends last mentioned to position the said interruption between the desired shunt elements and another contacting element positioned opposite the said interruption and means for positioning said contacting element to contact between the series connected elements, said return conductor and contacting element maintaining the same relative position.

2. An electric compensator including section elements comprising inductive elements conductively connected together in series, capacitive shunt elements conductively connected at one ductor having a permanent non-conducting interruption therein, said conductor adapted to be moved progressively along the shunt element ends last mentioned to position the said interruption between the desired shunt elements, and another contacting element positioned opposite the said interruption and means for positioning said contacting element to contact between the series connected elements.

3. An electric compensator including section elements comprising inductive elements conductively connected together in series, capacitive shunt elements conductively connected at one end between the series inductive elements and a 7 further conductive element acting as a return conductor for the other end of the capacitive elements, switching means including the return conductor having a permanent non-conducting interruption therein, said conductor adapted to be moved along the shunt element ends last mentioned to position the said interruption between the desired shunt elements and another contacting element and means .ior positioning said contacting element to bridgeat least one series element and be constantly opposite the said interruption, said return conductor and contacting element maintaining the same relative position.

- 4. An electric compensator including section elements comprising inductive elements conductively connected together in series, capacitive shunt elements conductively connected at one end between the series inductive elements and a further conductive element acting as a return conductor for the other end of the capacitive elements,switching means including the return conductor having a permanent non-conducting interruption therein, said conductor adapted to be moved progressively along the shunt element ends last mentioned to position the said interruption between the desired shunt elements and another contacting element and means for positioning said contacting element to bridge at least one series element and be constantly opposite the said interruption.

5. In an electric compensator an artificial line comprising uniform inductive series elements permanently connected together and capacitive shunt elements forming uniformretardation sec- ,tions, switching means providing relatively fixed contact elements at mid and end points of said series elements and at the terminals of the shunt elements, and relatively movable contact elements connecting the terminals of said shunt contacts 60 together in'separate groups and connecting together the two non-adjacent contacts of the series elements positioned opposite said separation.

6. In an electric compensator an artificial line comprising uniform inductive series elements permanently connected together and capacitive shunt elements forming uniform retardation sections, switching means providing relatively fixed contact elements at mid and end points of said series elements and at the terminals of the shunt elements, a relatively movable collector bar having two conducting segments with two insulated collector segments therebetween connected to said conducting segments through capacitive elements equal in value to said shunt element and contact elements always positioned opposite said collector segments and connecting two non-adjacent contacts of said series elements.

7. In an electric compensator an artificial line made up of a common conducting side and series connected inductive elements including a shunt capacity connected to every'other series element, said shunt capacity elements being connected to the common side of the line and switching means having elements contacting between non-adjacent series elements and means for breaking the line at the common side opposite said last elements step by step, said means halving the shunt capacities adjacent the break atevery other step.

8. In an electric compensator an artificial line made up of a common conducting side and series connected inductive elements including a shunt capacity connected to every other series element, said shunt capacity elements being connected to the common side of the line and switching means having elements contacting between non-adjacent series elements and means for breaking the line at successive points thereof including means opening the common side of the line opposite said last elements and halving the last shunt capacity first on one side and then on the other side of the interruption.

9. In an electric compensator an artificial line made up of series inductive elements with a shunt capacity at every other series elementrconnected to the low side of the line, switching means for breaking the line at successive points thereof including means opening the line opposite the series side and halving said shunt capacities first on one side and then on the other side of the interruption and contact means short-circuiting the series element opposite the break.

10. An electric compensator having section elements comprising inductive series elements and capacity shunt elements forming an artificial lin means for effectively breaking said line betwee its ends and transferring a true half section comprising half the inductive series element and half the capacity shunt element from one side of the break to the other.

I LAURENCE BATOEBIDER. 

